12 Days
by KrissaBelle7
Summary: A chapter every day in the run up to Christmas. Castle and Beckett's middle child learns about the Christmas spirit.
1. Day 12: Dear Santa Claus

A/N: I've been feeling extra festive this year and this little idea just wouldn't leave me alone. Hopefully it'll turn out to be a nice little Christmas fic that you guys enjoy. Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

 **Day 12: Dear Santa Claus**

"Kate, I don't know how to tell you this, but it's not going to fit."

Kate twists her head and tries to look behind her. "What do you mean it's not going to fit? It fit just fine last time." She wiggles out of his grasp and heads for the full length mirror. Kate turns and inspects the gaping expanse of the back of her dress. She pulls at the fabric, trying to make them meet.

Castle gentles her hands when he gets to her side. She relents with a huff and lets him tug her into his side. "Kate," the awe in his voice makes her go still and forget what she is about to say.

One of his large hand goes to rest against her belly. "Kate, you're _showing_." She swivels her head to check out her reflection in the mirror. Standing like this, she finally gets a good look at her side profile and sees what Castle sees.

Sure enough, what was once a taut, flat plane now sported a slight curve. Just the tiniest of bumps. Maybe slightly larger than a food baby, but prominent enough to keep her dress from fitting.

"Oh. Oh wow," she breathes, suddenly stunned.

"Kate, you're gorgeous. Absolutely _beautiful_."

Turning to press her face into his chest, she chokes on a sob, not quite managing to get his name out.

They'd known she's been pregnant a few months now, but every time they discover something new, every appointment they've had, having Castle on this journey with her just intensified all her emotions and everything just felt _more_.

"I'm going to be fat," she whines instead. She has more than ten thoughts running through her head, most of them happy thoughts, but that was what she vocalised instead. Pregnancy brain is definitely a real thing.

"Hey, that's the mother of my baby you're talking about," Castle chides, pulling back to cradle her face in his hand, "and she will always be the most beautiful woman on earth."

Kate blinks to keep her tears at bay. Damn that man and his words. "Thanks, Castle." She presses a chaste kiss to his lips, just taking a moment to enjoy the peace and quiet. When they finally pull apart she asks, "Wanna help me pick out another dress to wear for dinner? Our guests will be here soon."

Castle nods and start leading her toward their walk in closet. "Speaking of, do you want to share our good news tonight? I'm pretty sure Jenny's guessed by now. It's like she has a magical pregnancy radar or something. Ryan's been beating around the bush with vague questions recently."

"Guess we can't really keep it hidden any longer now that I've started showing, but maybe hold off until after new years? I want to tell the kids and our parents before sharing the news with our friends." Kate steps out of her dress and hangs it up, stroking the sequinned fabric wistfully.

"Tell the kids, Mrs. Castle?" He takes away Kate's sparkly number and hands her another dress.

She smiles at him, all lips and white teeth."Tell _our_ kids, Mr. Castle."

He couldn't resist mirroring her, returning a happy grin of his own. "After dinner?"

She slips the new dress over her head and begins adjusting it with his help. "After dinner."

"Merry Christmas, Kate."

"Merry Christmas Rick."

* * *

Dear Santa Claus,

Thank you so much for the lovely presents. I hope you and your elves enjoyed the snacks I laid out this year. Alexis and I baked them just a few days ago so they would still be fresh for you.

Anyway, if I am honest, I must admit I'm quite sad you couldn't get me the doll model I asked for, but Daddy says sometimes the elves can't keep up with all the present demand they have to prepare, and I understand especially since the model I asked for just came out.

Mommy says I'll be getting something even better in a few months - a baby brother or sister! I don't see how a real baby could be better than the doll I asked for (as you know it can learn up to ten words within a week), but I'll be a good girl anyway and hopefully get a nice baby sister to play with.

I hope you have a nice rest. Christmas must be exhausting for you! Send my love to Mrs. Claus and the elves and all the animals at the North Pole.

Love,

Arriana Castle

25th December 2014


	2. Day 11: Hi Again Santa

A/N: I seem to have forgotten to mention this, but 12 Days _is_ part of the Arriana Universe, set a few months after the events of Third Time's the Charm. It's not necessary to have read Second Chance and Charm to enjoy this Christmas fic though :) Thanks for all the lovely reviews and favourites and follows. x

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

* * *

 **Day 11: Hi Again Santa**

Hi again Santa,

It's me again. I'm not sure if you remember my letter from last year, but I think you should know that I have a baby brother now. Everyone fusses over the baby but all he does is sleep and cry and cry and cry. It cries all the time, even in the middle of the night!

I'm not tattling on my baby brother, but he hasn't been a very good boy. I've been trying real hard to be a good girl but the baby might mess with my track record. He gets me into trouble for no reason! Mommy and Daddy are always so tired fussing after the baby they get short with me really quickly.

I try to be nice to the baby anyway but I don't think he understands how hard I'm trying to be good. I just think you should take that into account when you sort your naughty and nice list.

This year for Christmas, I'd like to ask for a magic pacifier on behalf of the baby (to make it stop crying) and a new pair of skates for myself.

Love,

Arriana Castle

5th December 2015

* * *

A/N: Arriana is about 9 years old in this fic, and while some people stop believing in Santa by that age, I'd like to think Castle watched Arthur Christmas with her, which is why she still writes letters to Santa. If you haven't seen Arthur Christmas, you really should. It came out in 2011, but I've only found out about this movie recently, and I LOVED IT so much.


	3. Day 10: The Last Straw

A/N: Hope you guys are still enjoying the story. We'll get longer chapters from here on out. Thanks for reading :)

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

 **Day 10: The Last Straw**

"Daddy, look at what we made in class today!" Arriana skids the last few feet but luckily her dad manages to grab onto her and keep her from falling.

"Whoa, slow down there kid. You don't want to fall and crack your skull open when it's just a few more days till Christmas." Castle keeps a hand on her shoulder to make sure she's steady on her feet before flicking at the pom pom atop her hat, earning giggles in return.

He continues, "Now what is it you want to show me?"

Arriana slowly opens her hands. Nestled in between her cupped hands is a transparent christmas bauble with a snowy scene set inside. Castle picks it up gently by the string. "Wow, that's beautiful Arri. You made that in class?"

"Yup!" she answers enthusiastically, going straight into explaining just how they did it. "Mrs. Reed taught us how to do it. There's a window opening, see? And we put the little things through there using tweezers and glue it down so it doesn't wiggle about or fall out."

"Here, let me keep this in your bag so it stays safe on our journey home and then you can tell me all about how you made it," Castle says, turning her around so he can access the backpack. Once it's safely nestled in there, Castle zips up her bag and gives her his hand. They begin walking towards the subway as Arriana continues chattering away.

"We stuck down the cotton first. Mrs. Reed says it's for making a bedding of snow. I like that."

"What, cotton?"

"No, silly daddy," she laughs happily, shaking her head at him. "A bedding of snow. It sounds nice. Do you ever use that in your books? Can you imagine? A bed made of snow! It must be awfully fun to roll around in a snowy bed."

"Yeah, until you freeze your little butt off," Castle says, reaching for his MetroCard. That just sets Arriana off into another giggle fest. It's feels like it's been such a long time since she's felt so happy.

They ride the subway for a bit and she eventually settles down enough to finish up her story, telling Castle why she chose the little wooden house (it reminded her of Grandpa Jim's cabin) and Christmas tree (they were out of reindeer) and a snowman (because it's _Christmas_ ).

They get off at the Spring street stop and begin walking home. "Hold on, I just need to pop into the store to grab some marshmallows for Mom."

"Mommy's home?" Arriana asks, surprised.

"Yeah, she's off early today, so she's home with Alexis and Nate."

Now she sounds doubly excited. " _Alexis_ is home too?"

"Yup, she dropped by for a visit and wanted to make hot chocolate with Mom but then they realised we're all out of marshmallows."

"Is Alexis staying for dinner?" she asks, grabbing the bag of marshmallows and tugging her dad towards the cashier.

Castle pays while nodding distractedly and Arriana whoops in joy. "This is the best day ever! Mommy's home early, Alexis is back, and we got to ride the subway together."

They exit the store hand in hand, walking towards their home once more. "You don't like the car service?" Castle asks. They've taken to using the car service more often now that he has baby Nate with him when he picks Arriana up from school.

She shrugs, saying, "It's alright, but I miss riding the subway, just you and me."

"Well, we can still use the subway if Nate's on a good day," Castle replies. He never thought she'd miss using the public transport system. Guess she's really a New York kid. City born and bred, through and through.

"I can't wait to show Alexis and Mommy my Christmas bauble."

* * *

Arriana wastes no time hurtling into her older sister once they get home. Even though Alexis visits home at least once a week, it never feels often enough. Eventually Kate makes her take off her coat and hat to hang and they all move to the kitchen.

Castle opens the bag of marshmallows as Kate continues feeding baby Nate pureed carrots. The rest of them busy themselves fixing up hot chocolate and Arriana suddenly remembers about the ornament in her backpack.

"Oh look at what I made in school today!" she exclaims, digging through her bag and finally holding up the bauble triumphantly. She scurries closer to Kate, holding the ornament by the thin piece of golden string.

"Good job, Arri. That's really beautiful. Would you like to add it to our tree tonight?" Kate asks.

Before Kate can reach for the bauble to give it a closer inspection, Nate's tiny, grubby hand shoots out and grabs the bauble right out of Arriana's delicate hold. He brings it right up to his face, staring curiously.

"Be careful with it Nate," Kate makes to take it back but that only makes him bring it close to his mouth.

"Mommy, there's tiny parts that he can choke on. Oh Nate it's really fragile don't-" Arriana stops mid sentence as her younger brother suddenly flings the bauble away from their mother, hurtling it towards the ground.

It smashes majestically, the plastic breaking apart as the little Christmas scene Arriana painstakingly assembled falls out. "You horrible baby I hate you!" Arriana screeches Nate.

Nate startles and then begins crying loudly. "Arriana Castle, watch your tone. And you shouldn't say mean things to your brother," Kate warns, going to carry the baby from his seat.

"It's not fair! He's always destroying my things or getting me into trouble! Alexis didn't even get to see my ornament yet. I hate him! I hate the stupid baby, he ruins _Everything_!" Arriana goes to pick up what's left of her ornament, tears streaming down her face.

Castle's low but firm tone cuts through the chaos. "Arriana Harley Castle."

Arriana stiffens upon hearing her full name.

"Time out. Go to your room now and think-"

"I didn't even do anything! Daddy not time out, please, I didn't even get to spend time with Alexis yet," she pleads.

Castle exchanges a look with Kate as she carries the crying baby towards the living room, trying to soothe his tears away. "I want you to think about what's happened and how you've behaved. We'll talk after that and then you can spend what time you have left playing with Alexis."

"But-"

"Any more backtalk and I'll extend your time out," Castle warns.

Arriana glares at him, swiping at her eyes furiously. Alexis gives her a sympathetic look, but that only enrages Arriana further.

"You know what? I don't care! Extend my time out to forever. Nobody cares about me anyway and I hate all of you, most of all the baby! I hate you! I hate you! I hate all of you!"

Arriana runs out of the kitchen, stomping loudly up the stairs. In the living room, the baby starts wailing anew.

* * *

A/N: Uhh... _not_ silent night?


	4. Day 9: Bye Bye Bye

A/N: Thanks so much for all the feedback! Sorry if I couldn't get back to every single one of you, I'm literally writing the chapters the day before it's supposed to go up and I barely have any free time as it is. December is just flying by! Happy reading :)

Disclaimer: Not mine

* * *

 **Day 9: Bye Bye Bye**

Dinner was a horrid affair.

Arriana refused to talk to anybody. Even Alexis couldn't cheer her out of her stubborn, sullen mood. After dinner, Arriana imposes a self-exile and hides in her room once more. Eventually, Alexis goes up to say goodbye to her younger sister.

"I know things have been changing a lot in the past few months and it must be difficult for you, with the new baby in the house," Alexis says, laying a hand on Arriana. The younger girl scowls and turns over so that her back is now presented to Alexis.

 _Always about the new baby again,_ she thinks.

"You're a good girl, Arri," Alexis continues, enveloping her in a hug.

 _Yeah? Tell that to Mommy and Daddy! They don't know how hard I've been trying._ Arriana stares at the wall, refusing to let her tears fall. She's not going to waste any more tears over this tonight. Her body trembles with the effort and Alexis gives her a tight squeeze.

"I wish you'd talk to me," Alexis says softly, waiting her out but Arriana remains quiet. Minutes stretch by in silence and Alexis eventually drops a kiss onto Arriana's cheek. "Well, I gotta go now, but I'm always here to listen if you want to talk, okay? Talk to mom and dad, they don't know how to help you if they have no idea what's going on in your mind. You'll always be my baby sister no matter what."

Arriana waits for the door to click shut before letting the hot tears fall for what felt like the millionth time that night.

* * *

Arriana wakes up on Saturday morning with eyes that feels tender from all the crying she did the previous night. She glances at the clock on the dresser, surprised to find that it's almost noon.

The baby had kept everyone up throughout the night. Again. Arriana had woken up multiple times to hear her parents taking turns to care for the baby - daddy's heavy, sleep-clumsy footsteps and more frequently, mommy's lighter, quicker footsteps.

Arriana opens her door quietly and begins heading for the bathroom. On her way pass the stairs she hears her parents murmuring to each other in low voices.

Daddy's off to run some errands and mommy's going to try and catch a quick nap whilst the kids are still sleeping.

Well, Arriana isn't about to let them know she has already woken up. She can fix her own meal - maybe some cereal if she gets hungry - Mommy deserves to rest and sleep in on one of her rare day offs. Besides, everyone must feel tired after their restless sleep.

Arriana hears the front door shut and she quietly makes her way to the bathroom to begin washing up. It doesn't take long for her stomach to begin rumbling so she pops into the nursery just to check if the baby is sleeping and then she heads downstairs.

Everything is still and silent so Arriana assumes her mom is taking a nap after all. She doesn't dare peek into her parent's bedroom because mommy is such a light sleeper.

Arriana hums softly to herself, pouring some cinnamon crunch and fresh milk into a bowl. Eating breakfast alone is sad. She misses weekend brunch with her whole family. Mommy dicing up fruits, Alexis in charge of drinks and setting the table, and Arriana and daddy cooking up fancy concoctions. They haven't done that in ages. Not since the baby came.

Eventually she heads upstairs once more to begin working on her homework since there's nothing to do anyway. As she passes the corridor, Arriana gets sidetracked by the happy gurgling sounds emitted from within the nursery.

She pops her head in and sees the baby playing with his toes. He gives a small cry of excitement when he spots her and Arriana walks over, speaking softly to him.

"You're happy today." She sticks her hand through the bars of the crib to tickle his tummy and is rewarded by more happy sounds from Nate. She grabs the baby monitor and turns it down. No point waking mommy if the baby isn't fussing yet.

Nate rolls over and crawls to the edge of his crib, mashing his face against the bars as he reaches for his sister. She plays with him for a while, alternating between an elaborate game of peek-a-boo and making silly faces or tickling him through the bars.

She eventually tires and sits on the floor, resting her head against the crib as baby Nate reaches through the bars to play with her hair. "See, why can't you be a nice baby all the time?" she huffs, patiently sitting there while he entertains himself.

Suddenly she gets an amazing idea.

She quickly stands up and leans over the crib, looking down at the baby. "Nate, do you want to go out with me? If you behave we could go somewhere nice and let mommy get a proper rest. We're bound to wake her up eventually if we continue playing. What do you say?"

It's not like she expects the baby to respond to her questions but surprisingly he sticks up his hands and reaches for her.

"Oh really? You want uppie? You wanna go explore the city with me?"

The baby grabs at the air enthusiastically and Arriana giggles.

" _Now_ you decide to understand me. Okay lets see, we could go to the library. I've been there enough times with daddy to know how to get there and back. Let's get you changed and bundled up."

She grabs his hat, mittens and jacket and lay them out on the floor. The baby's dressing table is still too tall for her.

Then, Arriana fiddles with the crib, carefully lowering one of the sides without catching her fingers. Nate immediately lunges for her and she grabs him in a hug, carefully carrying him out and laying him on the floor. She tugs the jacket on and bundles him up in his mittens and hat. Once he is properly dressed she hugs him once more to pick him up and slowly begin making her way downstairs.

"You stay here a while and behave while I grab your bag and put on my coat," she says as she puts him in the play pen and closes the gate. He begins playing with his toys so Arriana heads for the baby bag. It still has a serving of infant's formula and two diapers along with his other essentials such as his pacifier and wet wipes and a small thermos which she carefully fills up with warm water. That would have to do.

Arriana zips the baby bag shut and goes to put on her scarf and coat. She grabs the baby carrier - a harness sort of thing that she hopes would fit - and returns to the play pen for Nate. His hat has fallen off so she picks it up and puts it back on. "Guess I shouldn't have bundled you up so soon, sorry. But, it'll be cold outside and you'll be thankful to stay warm. Now, try not to fiddle around too much while I try to get you strapped in."

Baby Nate cooperated, which is a damn near miracle, and soon she is heading for the door with her brother strapped to her chest. She remembers the baby bag at the last moment and picks that up too, slinging it across a shoulder.

As they ride the elevator down, Arriana realises she's forgotten to leave a note for when Mommy wakes up. "That's okay, we'll ask Eduardo to tell Mommy, won't we?" she asks Nate, content to continue her one-sided conversation with the happy baby.

When they get to the lobby Eduardo isn't around. Arriana walks out and sees him down the street, talking to a delivery person animatedly.

"Eduardo looks busy," Arriana tells the baby as she waves at Eduardo. He begins walking further down the street with the delivery person, now gesturing at the truck

Arriana winds her arms around the baby's bum, regretting her forgotten gloves and presses him in. "Guess we'll just have to make it a quick trip and get back before Mommy wakes. Off we go!"


	5. Day 8: Where's The Kids?

A/N: Guys, Rick and Kate aren't absolute terrible, horrible parents. So far we're seeing everything from Arriana's POV so hopefully this chapter will give some of the adults perspective. Things get overwhelming with a new baby and they just haven't found their rhythm yet. Is it bad they're neglecting the middle child? Yes. But does it happen in real life? All the time.

To the guest reviewer, Arriana is about 9 years old in this fic. Thanks for all the feedback, I really, really appreciate them! :) Now, onto the story!

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

 **Day 8: Where's The Kids?!**

Kate wakes up from her deep slumber to soft kisses. She smiles against the soft stubble of her husband before opening her eyes. "Good morning sleeping beauty," he greets in a low murmur.

Kate rubs at her face. "Mmm, time's it? Did you forget something?"

Rick chuckles, his warm breath washing over her. "Kate, it's three o'clock. I'm surprised the kids haven't woken you earlier."

She rolls over and pushed up into a sitting position. Kate grunts. "Must be a Christmas miracle. After yesterday I thought Arri and Nate would be tearing at each other's throats."

"Or maybe she's just ignoring him."

Kate huffs at that and Castle continues, "Did you do that a lot as a kid? Give your parents the silent treatment whenever you were mad?"

"Oh no, I was very vocal with my displeasures. Yelling matches with my parents practically every week when I hit my rebellious phase. Arri inherited my pig headed stubbornness though."

"You Beckett women," Castle teases, shaking his head. "Always gotta make things hard for me eh?"

Kate sticks her tongue out at him for that. "You love us anyway."

"That I do," he gives her a sappy smile. "I'm concerned about Arri though. I don't think she's handling things too well. I think I might have accidentally let Arri fall by the wayside recently."

Kate sighs, reaching for his hand. She squeezes it softly. "I'm guilty of that too. I've just forgotten how busy it is with a new baby, you know? I feel exhausted all the time. I've been picking up on little signs of her jealousy, but she still loves Nate, right? I mean, she definitely cares about him; she's not intentionally _spiteful_ or anything… I guess I've been ignoring the little signs that things might not be okay in the hopes that if I keep ignoring it, it'll eventually go away. That's terrible parenting, right? I mean, look how well that turned out to be. A sudden explosion out of nowhere."

"Hey, last night's explosion is equally my fault. I should've picked up on it sooner and spoken to her or something. We tried talking to her before dinner, and when she ignored us, I was the one who insisted on giving her more space because she wasn't ready to talk yet. Maybe we should have pushed harder and made her talk to us or at least hear us out - really listen to what we're saying. Make her feel cared for, I guess. But instead, I thought she wanted to be left alone and it snowballed into Arri giving the whole family the silent treatment. We'll do better," he promises.

"Rick, her pillow was soaked when I went to tuck her into bed last night. She _cried_ herself to sleep and I couldn't even help her. I honestly had no idea things were that bad with her." Kate chokes on a sob, looking at him for guidance.

He pulls on her hand, tugging her over so they can cuddle. "I… I know Kate. It sucks when you feel helpless as a parent to keep your child from hurting."

"But that's just the thing - I didn't even know how badly she was hurting this whole time."

"Me too, Kate, me too. We both grew up as single children so that's the only experience we've had. We never knew what it was like to fight with a sibling for our parents' attention. Alexis was raised as a single child, so was Arriana until we combined our families, and I think we both did a pretty good job raising our girls."

The tension from Kate's body slowly slips away, and Rick feels her sagging against him. He kisses the side of her head and then continues. "But now with Nate in the picture, we have a young adult and two kids to raise, and neither of us have any experience with that. Can I tell you a secret?"

Kate gives him a little nod as she lies listlessly in his embrace, caught up by his spin on words once more.

"I felt like a complete failure with Alexis, I thought I was ruining her future and never knew what to do when she was a kid. It felt like I was floundering all the time, barely treading water. And my poor little girl had to suffer because of the inadequacies of her father. But through a lot of trial and error, we eventually figured out what worked for us. We'll do the same with our kids now. Trial and error. We thought we've been handling the younger ones pretty okay and giving Arriana the attention she needs, but clearly she doesn't feel that way. So maybe it's not enough to ask after her day and help her with school work, maybe she wants more one on one time, or we could both spend a few minutes of quiet time with her each evening if the baby naps, and we can slowly get her to feel included and loved even when Nate is with us. We'll keep trying different things until we find something that will work for all of us. I'm in this with you Kate."

"Always," she murmurs. Kate swipes at her eyes and crawls out of his embrace. She starts to head for the bathroom. "I'm going to go splash some water on my face. Check up on the kids will you? They must be starving by now."

"Sure thing. And Kate?" he waits for her to turn around before continuing. "We got this."

* * *

Thirty seconds later, Castle barges back into their bedroom, his face ashen white. "Kate, the kids are gone!"

She stops drying her face with the towel and rushes out of the bathroom only to collide into her husband. "What do you mean they're gone?"

"They're not in their rooms. I called their names, but the loft is- it's _silent_. They're not here Kate, the kids are gone. Where's the kids?" he asks, eyes wide and frantic.

They rush out of the bedroom, Rick close on Kate's heels. Kate's mind starts spinning as she tries to find a logical explanation. "Maybe- maybe they're just playing somewhere. In another room or somewhere with the door closed and they can't hear us?"

"Split up?" Rick asks. Kate gives him a curt nod as she heads for the stairs.

"You do downstairs, I'll check upstairs. All the rooms, under the tables, even the little spaces - whatever you can think of."

Her kids aren't gone. They're here somewhere. They have to be. They just have to be.

* * *

Ten minutes later, the loft looks an absolute mess. Castle and Beckett swapped floors, checked and double checked and checked once more after their partners, but the kids weren't to be found.

"Castle, I _lost_ our kids. They disappeared on my watch-"

"No, Kate Beckett, you don't get to do that. Snap out of it. We can't- we need to- check the hall closet!"

"I did. _Twice_. Neither of them are in there." She starts heading for the hall closet nonetheless, Castle just a few steps behind her.

"Did you check for Arri's coat? If- if someone broke in and force- _kidnapped_ our kids, they wouldn't think of dressing them. They'd want to be in and out as quickly and quietly as they can. But if Arri went out on her own-"

"She'd put on her coat first," Beckett finishes his sentence, rummaging through the hall closet for the bright purple coat that has been Arriana's favourite this winter.

"It's not here. The purple- her coat's not here," Beckett repeats, slightly breathless and excited. They had a lead to follow. Finally, they catch a small break. They'll find the kids.

"Security footage!" they both exclaim at the same time.

"There's cameras in the elevators-"

"And the lobby. We can scrub them and see when the kids left-"

"And see which way they headed. If anybody saw them-"

"Or heard something. Come on."


	6. Day 7: My Favourite Place

A/N: Halfway mark. YAY!

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

 **Day 7: My Favourite Place**

Arriana absolutely regrets forgetting her gloves by the time they reach the library. She couldn't tuck her hands into her pockets due to the baby strapped to her chest, and her fingers feel painfully frozen when they finally hit the warm indoor air.

Nate has been mostly quiet and well behaved on their journey. It might be due to the cold weather but Arriana is pretty sure she's bundled him up warmly. It's a good thing he's not fussing because she is completely worn out from carrying the baby. She's never had to carry him for such a long period of time before and he really gets _heavy_ after a while.

She's never felt more happy to arrive at the library.

Arriana heads straight for the children's section - she's been to the library enough times to know the layout pretty well. It's rather empty - just a few kids sitting around, some alone, some accompanied by their parents - and Arriana makes for the empty beanbag-reading-area.

She slowly sinks to her knees, then begin unstrapping Nate. He starts wriggling about and she almost drops him. "Nate, stop moving or you'll fall out," she pants breathlessly. "My arms still feel like spaghetti - my whole body feels like overcooked spaghetti - please just keep still for long enough so I can put you down, there!" She finally manages to lower him to the ground and flops down onto her bum, more exhausted from her ordeal than she had anticipated.

"We're gonna have to… hang around… rest… until I gain enough energy to bring us home. This… might not… have been the best… idea." Arriana heaves her words out, resting a hand lightly on the baby. When she feels like she's caught her breath, Arriana yanks off her hat and scarf, then begins undressing the baby as well. She stuffs his hat and mittens into the baby bag and then unzips his coat.

Baby Nate rolls side to side, taking a few tries before successfully rolling onto his stomach. Arriana lets him crawl a few feet before going after him and dragging him back. She begins rearranging the beanbags to form a play pen enclosure.

Grabbing the nearest book discarded on a low table, she's pleased to find it's a large picture book. "Come on Nate, let's see what this book is all about!" She keeps her voice low because they're at the library, but the baby detects her enthusiasm anyway and crawls towards her. She pulls him to sit in front of her and opens the storybook.

She keeps him entertained for a few pages but then he starts squirming around and fussing. Discarding the book for now, Arriana opens the baby bag and hands him some toys while she begins fixing up a bottle of formula milk for him to drink.

Shaking the bottle vigorously, she then hurries to test a few drops on her inner wrist just like how her parents taught her. It doesn't feel too warm, so she gives the bottle to the impatient baby.

He grabs the bottle with two chubby hands, chugging down the milk like a champ. He's pretty content to quietly feed on his back so Arriana glances at their beanbag pen, making sure he won't be able to crawl out.

"Okay," she says decisively, "I'll go grab Goodnight Moon - you like that, daddy reads it every night - and hopefully that'll put you in a good mood or make you sleepy and then we can go home. I'll be back really quickly so just stay here and don't get into trouble."

A small part of her thinks it's a bad idea to leave the baby, but he still has half a bottle of milk and she knows where the nursery storybooks are kept so it won't take her long at all. Something to settle the baby and they can go home after.

She climbs over a beanbag, gives Nate a final glance and then scampers for the bookshelves.

* * *

Arriana finds the storybook in no time at all and begins making her way back. "Now, do I turn right here or the next one? This part is always tricky… Let's try turning here," she speaks to herself, navigating her way back to the beanbag area.

She sees a large ornate clock on the wall and realises two things. One, she's made the wrong turn and two, it's much later in the day than she's expected. They might not have time for another book, she might have to bring Nate home straightaway or she will be in so much trouble.

She doubles back quickly and reorients herself, finally seeing the beanbag area in the distance. Arriana rushes over and meets a sight that sends cold, sharp fright shooting down her spine.

The ring of beanbag she used to make an enclosure remains intact, but there is no sign of her brother. The baby bag isn't there either. There's no sign of them having been there at all except for the large picture book lying on the ground.

Arriana's really done it this time. She's going to be in so much trouble and it's all her own fault.

* * *

She searches the nearby area in a panic but doesn't find him. "Nate? Nate where are you?" her harsh whispers cut through the air and earns her a few glares in return. Arriana then goes up to the other people in the vicinity and asks if they've seen her baby brother, but no one had been paying attention.

Mommy always said to go to adults for help, authoritative figures would know what to do, so Arriana decides to go to the main librarian's reception desk to ask for help.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading :) I'd love to hear feedback from you guys.


	7. Cay 6: Hello Mr Castle?

A/N: Thank you so much for the lovely reviews!

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

 **Day 6: Hello Mr. Castle?**

Castle and Beckett speak to the building manager, Mr. Felton, and are quickly brought to the security room as Peter the tech person pulls up the appropriate security feeds.

"Here we go," Peter says, fast forwarding through the footage of their hallway. He pauses and plays it in real time when they spot Arriana and Nate exiting the loft. Reading the time stamp, he tells the anxious parents, "They left at 1 p.m."

"She's got Nate with her," Beckett says, "At least we know they're together. Peter can we go to the cameras for the lobby and street?"

He murmurs a quick consent and clicks for those cameras, fast forwarding to one o'clock. They track Arriana's progress through the lobby and sees her hesitate slightly before walking outside.

"Who's the doorman on duty? Can we speak to him?" Castle asks, noting the absence of a doorman immediately as Arriana struggles for a bit to push open the door whilst having baby Nate strapped to her front.

"It's Eduardo, Mr. Castle. I've already called for him," Mr. Felton informs.

Peter proceeds to play the footage outside the building and they see Arriana heading West before they lose sight of her when she turns a corner.

"Ryan and Espo are working today, I'll see if they can pull some strings and get traffic cam footage for us, figure out where the kids went," Beckett says, pulling out her phone.

Just then, Eduardo knocks on the door and interrupts. "Mr. Castle? Mr. Felton says you have some questions?"

"Yes, did you happen to see Arriana leave with Nate earlier this afternoon? At around 1 p.m.?" Castle asks.

"No, Mr. Castle, I'm sorry but I don't recall seeing them today."

"Why weren't you at the door?" Mr. Felton questions in his stern voice.

Eduardo rubs at his eyebrow and starts murmuring to himself softly before answering them. "One, one o'clock… There was a large shipment of delivery for the Archibalds. The truck was parked at the wrong place and I must have been talking to the delivery person, instructing him how to get to the loading bay, when the children left."

"Kate-" Castle starts, but she's already read his mind. "I'm on it. Calling Ryan now," she tells him, pressing the shortcut button.

The doorman looks at them helplessly. "Mr. Castle I'm really sorry I couldn't be more help."

"That's okay. Thank you Eduardo," Castle says, dismissing the man so he could get back to work.

Castle listens to his wife give Ryan a quick run down of what has happened. As she begins describing the children's clothing, Castle's phone begins to ring.

The caller ID shows an unfamiliar number. Had the children been kidnapped along the way? Is this a ransom call? Or has a kind samaritan stopped and helped his children and this is them trying to get home? Castle answers his phone, preparing for the worst while hoping for the best.

"Mr. Richard Castle? This is Melinda Jones with the New York Public Library."

Castle sighs. "Ms Jones, I'm sorry but this is not a good time. Maybe you can contact my publisher or agent instead?"

The librarian is quick to cut in. "Oh it's not that, Mr. Castle. I think I have your baby here with me."

"Nate? He's there?" Castle perks up immediately and Beckett rushes to his side, mouthing "Where?" at him.

He tells her "library" as Ms Jones continues speaking through the phone. "Well, he's just a baby so we can't confirm if it is indeed Nate, but we found him in the children's section with a baby bag and your name card in one of the side pockets."

"Oh thank god. Arriana, his sister, is she there too?"

A pause, and then the librarian's apologetic voice informs him, "No, we have just the baby. How old is his sister?"

"She's- she's uh, nine years old. Brown hair, she was wearing a purple coat today."

By this time, Beckett has returned to Castle's side, attentively listening to every word he says. She asks softly, "Arri?"

Castle frowns and gives a curt shake of his head. Her heart sinks, but she starts giving new instructions to Ryan on her phone. They might have found Nate but Arriana is still MIA.

"I think I have her scarf and hat here in the baby bag but so far we haven't noticed her. We'll inform the staff to look out for her and call you with any updates, Mr. Castle."

It wasn't the best news but at least they've located one of the children. "Thank you so much Ms Jones, my wife and I are on our way over right now. We'll be there in twenty minutes."


	8. Day 5: Help, I'm Lost

A/N: So terribly sorry I couldn't update yesterday. I'll be posting two chapters in a day (not sure when) in order to keep up with the schedule to post the final chapter on Christmas day.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

 **Day 5: Help, I'm Lost.**

As Arriana rushes over to the main librarian reception desk, she suddenly sees a lady carrying a baby in a bright blue coat heading for the exit. "Nate!" she exclaims, heading for the large double doors instead.

In her haste to the doors, she bumps into a middle aged woman wearing the library's staff attire. "I'm sorry, my brother- I have to go. So sorry!" She doesn't stop, just quickly darting off as she tries to keep the lady with Nate in her sights.

Arriana rushes out and immediately makes her way down the street, barely sparing the time to do up her coat properly. _There they are!_ She spots the lady making a crossing and barely makes it across herself before the lights turn red.

"Nate! Nate! Hey lady, slow down!" Arriana calls, but the stranger with her baby brother just keeps making her way down the street.

Arriana eventually follows them into a parking complex, finally catching up as the lady straps the baby into a car seat. "What are you doing with my baby?" Arriana demands, her chest heaving as she tries to catch her breath. She's tracked them for quite a distance and her breath comes out in white puffs against the cold winter air.

The lady finally turns around. "Excuse me? Have you been- Were you yelling after me all this time?"

"I said," Arriana pants, "what are you doing- that's not Nate. I thought-"

"Listen kid, I'm in a rush. You should go back to your parents," the stranger says, shutting the door to her SUV and making her way to the driver's seat.

"But- how- _where_ am I?" Arriana finally takes in her surroundings and realises she has no idea how she ended up here. She's taken so many turns and ran down so many streets without really noticing what was around her that she is quite probably lost.

Unfortunately for her, the lady begins starting up her car and the questions go by unheard. Arriana steps to the side in a daze as the car pulls out of the parking lot and heads for the exit ramp. Now that the adrenalin rush is over, she's beginning to feel quite cold. First things first, she zips up her coat all the way and huddles down to keep warm but without her hat and scarf she still feels the nip of the cold weather. Arriana stuffs her balled hands into her pocket and begins walking towards the exit ramp.

Maybe if she goes outside she'll start recognising some buildings or be able to stop people for help.

* * *

Arriana Castle is freezing and miserable and scared and most definitely lost. All she wants to do is to curl up into a ball and cry.

The sky has gone dark by the time she gets to the street and everything looks menacing and unfamiliar in the gloom. She's somehow ended up in a deserted block and no matter which way she goes, it all looks the same. Broken windows and deserted stores. She tries listening for city sounds and busy streets but all she gets is stranded silence.

Arriana tried approaching strangers a few times for help, but most of them looked scary and intimidating. When she finally screws up the courage to talk to a person, he yells at her, spit flying everywhere as his alcoholic breath hit her square in the face. She shrieked and ran and ran until he was no longer in sight and she could no longer hear his drunken rant.

Other times she was simply told to "Bugger off" or "Scram kid!" and so she continued walking, getting more terrified and filled with despair with each step.

An old lady offered her candied apples but Arriana realised she was just reaching for rotten apple cores in her stained pocket. If Arriana ever makes it back to anywhere safe she's never venturing out alone anymore.

* * *

Eventually she makes her way back to busier streets with lights and people hurrying along. In her exhaustion combined with gentle relief, she narrowly misses getting clipped by a taxi. The driver shakes his fist at her, yelling obscenities as he speeds off and Arriana is left standing by the sidewalk, frozen and numb.

"Hey little girl, you doing alright? Where are your parents?"

A hand tugs her away from the sidewalk gently and Arriana can't help but flinch and jump.

"Whoa, easy there kid." A teenage girl wearing a panda beanie smiles at Arriana. "Are you lost?" she continues.

Arriana nods stiffly as tears begin streaming down her face. She's encountered so many mean people in the past twenty minutes that this unexpected kindness from a stranger just completely overwhelms Arriana, triggering the tears.

"Oh don't cry," the teenager says, reaching inside her bag for a pack of tissues. She takes out two sheets and begins dabbing at Arriana's tears.

She continues asking, "Are your parents somewhere nearby?"

Arriana snivels and shakes her head, taking the tissue from the teenager and begins wiping her own face.

The teenager straightens up, looking around. "Look, there are police officers over there. I'm sure lots of kids get separated from their parents this time of the year. I'll bring you over and they can help you, okay?"

* * *

A/N: Thanks so much for the kind reviews and encouraging PMs. Things will be heading uphill from here on out! There's only so many bad things I can make happen to poor Arriana.


	9. Day 4: Safe and Sound

A/N: We're almost there! Keep the reviews coming, I truly cherish each and every feedback from you guys.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

 **Day 4: Safe and Sound.**

Castle and Beckett get to the library in no time at all. Castle visits the library all the time with Arriana, so it doesn't take him long to get straight to the librarian's reception desk.

He introduces himself to the librarian immediately. "Hi, my name is Richard Castle, I received a call from Melinda Jones, one of the librarians here, she says she has my son? He's a baby boy, came here with his sister-"

The librarian cuts him off right there, eager to placate the worrying father. "Yes, Ms Jones has him. They're in the staff room, I'll bring you and your wife there now. Unfortunately we're still unable to locate your daughter."

Kate squeezes his fingers tightly and Rick gives her a soft tug in return. "Hey, one kid at a time, okay? Let's get Nate and then focus on Arri."

The anxious parents follow closely behind the librarian and when they reach the staff room, Kate all but hurtles herself through the doorway, arms stretching out to reach for her son. "Nate, Nate, oh my god Nate-" she chokes on his name, overcome with relief as she hugs him tightly. Rick is only half a step behind her, enveloping both his wife and son in a bear hug.

"Arriana? She's not- you guys couldn't find her?"

Ms Jones shakes her head regretfully. "Sorry for the bad news Mrs. Castle, but we announced over the PA for her to approach any of the staff but no one came forward. Another one of our staff members, Mrs. Frank, thinks your daughter bumped into her as she ran outside."

Kate nods tersely. She knew to prepare for bad news, but hearing the librarian's confirmation that Arriana isn't around still hurts. A cold noose tightens around her heart. Rick presses a kiss into her temple, trying to keep her hopes alive. "We'll find her, Kate. The boys are looking for her as well, and she's smart. We'll get Arri back."

Kate begins to give Nate a look over, checking to see if he really is okay. The baby seems happy enough, gurgling content noises now that he is reunited with his parents. In a soft voice, Kate asks Rick, "Is it possible… Do you think Arri brought him here to… to leave him?"

"On purpose? No, never. Arri would never do that, not in a million years, Kate."

Ms Jones lingered awkwardly in their periphery, hesitant to intrude on their hushed conversation. She clears her throat gently, holding out the baby bag for the parents. "We found your son playing with an empty bottle, so I assume he was recently fed. I've… stuffed your daughter's hat and scarf inside the bag as well."

Kate has never been more relieved that her husband had the forethought to keep his business card in the baby bag. Rick thanks Ms Jones for all she's done and takes the bag from her, opening the bag to withdraw Arriana's scarf. He presses it to his face, inhaling. It smells of the watermelon lotion Arriana uses and a tinge of sour, sweaty odour. It smells of his kid. His poor little girl who is lost somewhere in this city, probably cold and terrified.

Kate's phone suddenly starts ringing, the shrill ringtone sounding very out of place in the library, causing everyone to jump. She hands Nate over to Rick and apologises as she pulls out her phone and quickly answers it.

Both Rick and Kate had purposely set their ringtone to the medium-loud range so that they wouldn't miss any incoming calls.

"Ryan?" she answers, hoping the boys have some good news for her or at the very least a trail of her daughter's activity after leaving the library.

"What? Oh thank goodness- Rick, Rick they have her. They have Arri and they're bringing her to the 12th now. Thank you so much Ryan, yeah, we have Nate. He was here in the library. Okay, sure. Is she alright? How- okay, yes, we'll see you soon. Thanks Kevin."

Kate hangs up, kissing Rick on the lips. "They have her. Well, Javi found her. The boys caught a case this morning and Javi was following a lead so he went out with LT to do some canvassing, and this girl brings Arri over to get help, well, long story short, Javi is bringing her back to the 12th right now."

Rick sags in relief. "That is just wonderful news. She's okay? She's not hurt or anything?"

"Kevin hasn't seen her but he said Javi just mentioned her being cold and shaken up."

Rick grabs her in an impulsive hug. "Both our kids are safe, Kate. Let's- let's go pick Arriana up."


	10. Day 3: Sorry My Baby

A/N: I'll be posting the remaining chapters twice a day so that the final chapter can go up on Christmas morning. Please check out the previous chapter to ensure you don't accidentally miss out on any! ;)

Disclaimer: not mine.

* * *

 **Day 3: Sorry My Baby**

The elevator dings as the doors slide open, vomiting Rick and Kate onto the bullpen. They spot Arriana immediately, a tiny figure huddled under a wrap blanket with a steaming mug of hot beverage placed in front of her, resting on Ryan's desk.

"Arri!"

The girls perks up immediately, throwing off her blanket and running across the bullpen to collide straight into her parents' open arms. "Oh mommy, mommy, daddy, I thought I'd never see you again."

"You're safe, Arri, we're here now, it's alright."

Although Arri is much too old to be carried, Rick still lifts her straight off the ground as he straightens up, holding on tightly to her. Kate strokes her back over and over, happy tears making their way down her face.

Ryan and Esposito approach the Castle family, nodding at the relieved parents in greeting.

"Nate- I lost him, I lost Nate. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Arriana cries, burying her face into Rick's neck as Kate thanks the boys for finding and keeping Arriana safe.

"We found him, didn't Uncle Kevin tell you? The librarians found him and kept him safe," Rick murmurs, ducking his head to nuzzle her. His second baby girl, so big and yet still so young.

Arriana straightens, looking at her mother. "But where is he? Where's Nate?"

Kate cups Arriana's face with her palm. "We left him at home with Alexis. We wanted to come pick you up without Nate causing a distraction. Are you okay, Arri? Are you hurt?"

To their surprise, Arriana hunkers down against Rick's chest and begins crying and apologising over and over. Both her parents try soothing her and eventually they move into the break room so that Rick and Kate can settle on the sofa with Arriana on Rick's lap while her legs drape over Kate's thighs.

After a few long minutes the crying tapers off and Arriana is left a drained, hollowed out rag doll lying on her father. Kate reaches for her daughter's hands, holding them loosely in her grip. "Arriana, we know we've been busy and preoccupied with Nate, and we're sorry if you felt… ignored, or forgotten. Just… don't ever do that again, okay? Don't ever go out on your own again, we were worried sick."

Arriana asks in a small voice, "Because something bad could've happened to the baby?"

Rick picks up on her choice of words immediately. He's noticed she tends to refer to him as "the baby" whenever she isn't pleased, only calling her brother "Nate" whenever they're getting along. He makes a note to mention it to Kate. Arriana's subconscious choice of words could be able to help them better gauge how Arriana is doing.

"Yes, something bad could've happened to Nate, but something bad could've happened to you too," Kate tells her gently. Rick and Kate have spoken on their way to the precinct, and they both agreed to consciously involve _both_ children in their conversations with Arriana in an effort to remind Arriana her parents still cared about her.

Arriana nods silently, new tears slowly making their way down her cheeks. "You… you still care about me?"

Rick answers immediately, " _Of course_ we care about you. We'll always love you and care about you Arriana Harley Castle. Just because we have a new member to our family," Rick feels Arriana stiffen against him and he jostles her, "hey none of that now, you don't get to shut down every time Nate is mentioned."

Kate continues where Rick left off. "Arriana, just because we love Nate doesn't mean we love you any less, and we're sorry if we made you feel that way."

Arriana reaches for her mother, crawling into her lap as she apologises over and over. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for being so stupid and getting into so much trouble. I just thought no one wanted me anymore and I wanted to show that I'm still a good girl, I can still help around with the family and take care of Nate so you would still want me."

"Oh baby girl, I'm going to keep repeating this until it finally sinks in your head that we _love_ you, we'll never love you any less even when you get into trouble. You don't have to do anything to make us want you around - we'll always want you."

"Everything inside my head is just so confusing," Arriana admits, snuggling into her mother's embrace.

"I know, baby, I know," Kate says, lacing one of her hands with Rick's. They were in this together - partners in life - and they can help their daughter, together they can find something that works for everyone of them.

To their surprise, Arriana pulls away immediately in an outburst. "No you don't! You don't know, _mom!_ It's not okay to hate someone you love. It's not okay to hurt people, to be bad when you're only trying to help. It's not okay to… to feel invisible when you're standing right there. How can _you_ know when _I_ don't even know?! I'm not… it's _not_ okay to feel the way I feel when I deserve so much worse-"

Kate smothers her daughter, cutting off her words in a tight hug, refusing to let Arriana fall deeper into her own rabbit hole. It's the first time Arriana has called her "mom" with that tone that implicated so many layered meaning behind it. Frustration, guilt, helplessness. Her daughter is currently in the middle of that tender age, where on one side, the confidence brought on by invincibility felt throughout childhood starts conflicting with the beginnings of a transition phase of finding her own identity in this world.

But there was one thing Kate was certain of, something therapy has taught her. "It's okay, Arri. It's okay, it's all okay. I know, baby, I know all about the confusing feelings that fight and clash within our hearts. And it's okay, what you're feeling is okay because that's just you being human."

Kate softens her hold on her daughter and finally looks up at Rick. Noticing his awed look, she shoots him a questioning glance.

"Nothing," he tells her. "You're just being extraordinary, Kate. You're just being _you_."

They sit in silence for a few minutes, allowing all the words to sink in. Eventually, Arriana stirs. She tells her parents, "I think I'm ready to go home now."


	11. Day 2: Little Christmas Miracle

A/N: Please remember to check back on the previous chapter so you don't miss out on reading any! Thank you so much for all the reviews, favourites and follows. x

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

 **Day 2: Little Christmas Miracle**

When they get back to the loft it already smells of Chinese takeout. Kate texts Alexis on their way home and suggests she go ahead and order for the family since everyone feels too depleted after the day they've had to cook dinner.

Arriana timidly approaches Alexis and Nate, guilt and shame colouring her cheeks with a pink flush.

Baby Nate shrieks in delight upon seeing Arriana, gumming away at one fist as the other hand made grabby motions towards the girl. "Oh Nate, how can you still want me?" Arriana asks, letting him catch and tug on her finger enthusiastically.

"That's just what family does," Alexis tells her, bumping her hips into her sister playfully since her hands are occupied with the baby. The redhead continues with a wink, "We love each other no matter what and we will always forgive and love you."

Arriana gives her a small smile in return, sobering up only when she speaks to Nate again. "I promise to be a better sister. I'll look after you, I'll look out for you."

Rick and Kate join their children, all five of them standing in a tight huddle, maintaining light contact with each other. "And we promise to be better parents."

"To be a better family," Alexis finishes off, smiling at the gathering of people in front of her. To think that just a few short years ago it had just been her dad and grams plus her. The addition of Kate, Arriana and Jim has enriched her life infinitely and now with Nate in the picture, she truly feels lucky and thankful for the family they've created. Broken fragments connected by bonds that made them stronger as a whole. It's truly a miracle they manage to emerge from a day like this unscathed, and in fact, stronger as a family.

* * *

That night, Arriana gets tucked into bed by both her parents while Alexis puts the baby to sleep. They finally talk about Arriana's day and the consequences of her actions, how things spun out of control so quickly.

Noticing his daughter's drooping eyes and increasingly frequent yawns, Rick finishes up their conversation by telling her, "Remember you can come talk to us whenever, okay? Even when we're busy, we're never too busy to make time for you. Don't keep it all bottled up inside."

He gives her a goodnight kiss on the forehead and Kate follows suit, murmuring, "Love you, Arriana. Sweet dreams."

* * *

And for the first time ever, baby Nate sleeps throughout the night. Kate thinks it might be due to over-excitement in the day, but Rick knows better. It's their own little Christmas miracle.


	12. Day 1: Thank You Santa

A/N: Merry Christmas everybody! Here's the final chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

 **Day1: Thank You Santa**

Christmas morning dawns bright and early in the Castle household. Arriana is unsurprisingly the first one up and she takes it upon herself to wake the rest of the household.

She heads for Alexis first. Her sister had stayed over the previous night, and it doesn't take long for the enticement of presents to drag her out of bed.

Their parents are harder to wake, especially Rick. At one point he tugs Arriana into their bed and just flops over to pin her down as Alexis and Kate giggle at the two of them. It takes all three of them to get him out of bed and stay awake.

Kate goes upstairs for the baby with Arriana trailing her. Both Rick and Kate agreed to get Arriana more actively involved with caring for Nate so she feels included and hopefully bond better with her younger brother. Besides, it also gives Rick and Kate the opportunity to praise her accomplishments and gradual improvement over the weeks.

Once they all regroup in the living room, it's time to open the presents. They tear through the little gifts and their personal stockings, keeping the large presents for after dinner when Jim and Martha joins them.

To Rick and Kate's delight, Arriana proudly shows her gifts not only to Alexis, but to Nate too, promising to share. It seems their sibling bond is improving after all.

* * *

They go over to Ryan's place for lunch to celebrate and exchange gifts. It gives Arriana the chance to play with Ryan's nephews and niece, Connor, Devlin and Rory. Kate and Jenny immediately begin swapping stories about how they're coping with their respective babies, while said babies get delegated to Esposito and Lanie. Rick and Alexis are content to take turns mingling in the various groups.

After that, they return home and the children take a nap while the adults begin putting together Christmas dinner.

* * *

Dinner goes by rather smoothly, with only a minor upset involving Nate and the plate of potatoes. After their final round of gift giving, Rick distributes the wine and juice, calling everyone's attention for a toast.

"Here's to the season for forgiveness," Rick starts. Kate continues, "The season for love."

Alexis raises her glass. "The season for sharing."

"Season for joy!" Martha exclaims exuberantly, a large contrast to Jim's quiet "The season for hope."

Everyone looks expectantly at Arriana who finishes off with, "The season for magic."

Baby Nate then waves his bottle in the air, prompting everyone to clink glasses and drink to their toast.

* * *

A/N: There you go! Thank you so much for reading my story, I hope you guys enjoyed it. I tried making the toasts specific and special to each character, to show that the Christmas spirit takes on many forms and manifests as different things to each person. I'd love to hear your final thoughts on this story, so please don't feel shy to drop a review or PM. They're like little Christmas presents specially for me ;)

And lastly, happy holidays to you and your loved ones. Cheers!


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